The correct answer is D. Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM).
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) is a comprehensive tool designed to identify and remediate misconfigurations and compliance violations in cloud management planes. It helps organizations maintain secure and compliant cloud environments by continuously monitoring configurations against industry standards and best practices.
Key Functions of CSPM:
* Configuration Management: Identifies misconfigurations and alerts administrators to fix them.
* Compliance Monitoring: Continuously assesses cloud environments against compliance frameworks such as CIS, NIST, GDPR, and others.
* Automated Remediation: Automatically fixes known configuration errors based on predefined policies.
* Visibility: Provides a comprehensive view of security and compliance risks across multi-cloud environments.
* Risk Assessment: Analyzes risks related to identity, data exposure, and network configurations.
Why CSPM is Most Effective:
Cloud environments are dynamic, and maintaining secure configurations is challenging. CSPM solutions like AWS Config, Azure Security Center, and Google Cloud Security Command Center automate the process of checking for security policy violations and configuration drift.
Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
* A. Data Security Posture Management (DSPM): Focuses on data security, data loss prevention, and data governance, rather than configuration and compliance management.
* B. SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM): Specifically targets SaaS applications, managing security settings and compliance of cloud-based software rather than infrastructure.
* C. Cloud Detection and Response (CDR): Focuses on threat detection and incident response rather than configuration management and compliance.
Real-World Example:
A CSPM tool like Palo Alto Prisma Cloud or AWS Config can automatically detect if IAM policies are overly permissive or if S3 buckets are publicly accessible, helping to maintain compliance and reduce attack surfaces.
References:
CSA Security Guidance v4.0, Domain 4: Compliance and Audit Management
Cloud Computing Security Risk Assessment (ENISA) - Cloud Security Monitoring Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) v3.0.1 - Cloud Configuration Management Domain